Asphalt roofing products are often divided into three broad groups: shingles, roll roofing and underlayment. Shingles and roll roofing typically function as outer roof coverings designed to withstand exposure to weather and the elements. Shingles and roll roofing generally contain the same basic components which provide protection and long term wear associated with asphalt roofing products. These components include a base material made from an organic felt or fiberglass mat which serves as a matrix to support the other components and gives the product the required strength to withstand manufacturing, handling, installation and service in the intended environment. An asphalt coating formulated for the particular service application is often applied to the base material to provide the desired long-term ability to resist weathering and to provide stability under the anticipated temperature extremes. An outer layer of mineral granules is also commonly applied to the asphalt coating to form a surface exposed to the weather which shields the asphalt coating from the sun's rays, adds color to the final product and provides fire resistance.
Asphalt shingles are one of the most commonly used roofing materials. Such shingles are typically manufactured as single layer strip shingles, laminated shingles having two or more layers, interlocking shingles and large individual shingles in a variety of weights and colors. Such asphalt shingles are also often referred to as composite shingles. Even though composite and/or asphalt shingles offer significant cost, service life and flammability advantages over wood shingles, wood shingles are still often preferred due to the pleasing aesthetic appearance of a wood shingled roof. An important aesthetic advantage of such wood shingles is their greater thickness as compared to composite shingles. The thickness of wood shingles results in a more pleasing, layered look for the finished roof.
Various composite shingles have been developed to provide an appearance of thickness comparable to wood shingles. Examples of such composite or asphalt shingles are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,456 entitled Roofing Composite; U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,020 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0097811 entitled Multi-layered Shingle and Method of Making Same; U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,235 entitled Method and Apparatus for Making a Thick-Appearing Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,648 entitled Laminated Roofing Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,843 entitled Thick-Appearing Shingle and Method and Apparatus for Making Same; U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,847 entitled Laminated Roofing Shingle Having Staggered Shadow Lines and Method of Making the Same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,858 entitled Multihued Shingle Sheet; U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,943 entitled Hurricane Resistant Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,776 entitled Laminated Roofing Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,385 entitled Shingle With Slots and Method of Making Same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,186 entitled Laminated Roofing Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,929 entitled Laminated Roofing Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,530 entitled Method of Making a Thick Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,614 entitled Asphalt Shingle; U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,358 entitled Composite Shingle; and design and U.S. Pat. No. D309,027 entitled Tab Portion of a Shingle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,456 describes a roofing composite including a roofing material and an interply material attached to the roofing material. The interplay material is attached to an edge of the roofing material and is scored to permit a major portion of the interply material to be folded away from the roofing material for application to a roof. The drawings of the '456 patent include embodiments that show coloration to enhance the appearance of thickness in the laminated roofing shingles attached to the interply material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,020 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0097811 describe laminated shingles having dragon teeth, wherein the laminated portion of the shingle enhances the thickness of the dragon teeth region.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,467,235 and 6,212,843 describe shingles with tabs that have a thickened appearance. The tabs include visually distinct shading areas that are transverse and vertical to a center region of the tab, which gives the tab a thicker appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,847 describes a laminated shingle having an underlay and an overlay. The overlay has a plurality of spaced apart tabs and portions of the underlay are exposed between the spaces of the tabs. The tabs of the overlay have granules that provide an alternating pattern of color from top to bottom of dark, light and dark. The portion of the underlay that is exposed between the spaces of the tabs has a granule pattern such that from top to bottom the pattern is dark then light. The laminated shingles have an enhanced three-dimensional appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,858 describes a shingle having spaced apart tabs. The shingle includes a top section that has an upper un-exposable portion and a lower exposable portion. The lower exposable portion has a horizontal band of distinguishable color patterns. The shingle also has a tab portion with a plurality of tabs wherein each of the tabs is of a distinguishable color pattern. When the shingle is applied to a structure, the exposable portion of the top section is seen between tabs such that different colors are seen from tab to the exposed lower portion of the top section, to the tab, etc., thus providing a multi-hued appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,943 describes a hurricane resistant laminated shingle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,369,929, 5,666,776 and 6,289,648 describe laminated shingles having a headlap section and a buttlap section with a least one portion of the buttlap section being relatively uniform in color and another portion of the buttlap section having a color gradient or gradation from light to dark, wherein an illusion of depth is created on the portion of the buttlap section having the color gradient. The relatively uniform color section of the buttlap may be formed on tabs or dragon teeth on an overlay of the laminated section whereas the color gradient is formed on an underlay of the laminated shingle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,385 describes a shingle having areas of differing colors that are disposed horizontally on an exposable lower portion of the shingle. Slots are created between the differing colors to create tabs with a visual demarcation of color between the adjacent areas. The upper portion of the shingle, which is largely unexposable, is darker in color than the lower portion. When the shingle is applied to the roof the lower portion overlaps the upper portion and the darker color of the upper portion is visible through the slots, thus creating a greater visual demarcation between adjacent tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,186 describes a laminated shingle having a headlap section and a buttlap section with a least one portion of the buttlap section being relatively uniform in color and another portion of the buttlap section having a value gradation from light to dark, wherein an illusion of depth is created on the portion of the buttlap section having the color gradient. A desired value gradation is achieved with a plurality of horizontal striations with transition stripes disposed between adjacent horizontal striations.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,530, 4,717,614 and 3,921,358 describe laminated shingles with a thickened appearance due to the backing adhered to the shingle.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D309,027 describes a single layer shingle with tabs having varying color bands.
Each of the above-referenced patents is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes within this application.